


Her Dearest Tanya

by ThatScottishShipper



Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games), Mortal Kombat - All Media Types
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Girl Saves Girl, Lesbian Character, Love, Romantic Friendship, Self-Esteem Issues, Spoilers, is it treachery or is it true love?, mileena just wants to be loved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-19
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-14 11:39:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16039742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatScottishShipper/pseuds/ThatScottishShipper
Summary: Mileena's dearest, sweetest and ever loyal Tanya...





	1. Chapter 1

Loyalty was a fleeting mistress in these troubled times, but Empress Mileena never doubted Tanya’s dedication. A promise made was a promise kept, every secret locked away in their hearts. Her goody-two-shoes sister had the noble Jade, but she was no Tanya. Gifted in knowledge of magic and diplomacy, with strong survival instincts, no one outranked her Tanya.

  


Her dearest Tanya...

  


Regarded “gloomy” by others, Mileena only saw perfection, her solemn nature a beautiful flower blooming by her side. That only allowed those rare little smiles, a private joy for her alone, to be worth treasuring. With her raven black hair and snow white eyes, there was truly no fairer sight in all of Outworld, and all the Realms beyond.

As others saw the Empress of Outworld as an Inferior Kitana, a hybrid of monstrous origin, a pawn in the hands of her “father,” her beloved Tanya saw her as Mileena. Her Kahnum. Her sister in combat.

And as a woman.

 

Mileena’s tarkatan smile - a telling reminder of her sorcerous birth - never phased the Edenian beauty, the same of which could not be said of others in her court. How many years had it been since she confidently unveiled her lips outside of finishing off a foolish warrior in the heat of battle?

That first night, Mileena slowly removed her veil with a growing sense of trepidation. The Empress of Outworld, fearful of horrifying her intimate companion. When the purple veil fluttered to the sleeping chamber floor, revealing a lifetime of shame and imperfection cast on her by society, Tanya gracefully lowered herself onto her knees.

“My Kahnum,” Tanya sighed, wistfully. Her glowing eyes never shied away from the other woman, an unwavering softness there as if she were truly seeing Mileena for the very first time. No secrets, no trickery, no concealment at play.

 

She _saw_ Mileena, saw her as the everything that held her world together, could ensure everything she strived for and struggled to endure all for that glorious purpose.

And poor Mileena, starved for validation and affection, held her loyal and loving Tanya.

 

Her dearest, ever loyal Tanya…


	2. Her Kahnum, Her Mileena

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tanya's Kahnum, Her Mileena.

Her naive Kahnum.

Others feared and reviled the newly crowned Empress, shared whispers about the terrible secret beneath her velvet veil. The origins of her birth and that to gaze upon her smile was to see the Jaws of Death. Even among the denizens of Outworld, the Other Kitana was a subject of terror.

Not for Tanya.

 

Well versed in the subtle art of knowing her marks, she saw Mileena’s true self, a frightened girl craving attention and acceptance in a harsh, unforgiving world. That inferiority complex made Tanya’s job much easier. Surviving long enough to restore her home world of Edenia was her true objective, after all.

Sacrifices were an expected casualty of doing what needed to be done, and Tanya learned that the hard way. She lost longtime allies and friends in the process, including her fellow Edenians, Princess Kitana and Jade.

Jade. An Emerald cast among unrefined rubble, her potential was the hardest loss to stomach on the whole unpleasant affair. Jade had a place in the restored Edenia, one that the fatally idealistic Kitana did not. Regrettably, in war, to survive meant to ally with the “winning side.”

Even if that meant offering up Earthrealm’s champion in the process.

 

Jade failed to understand that.

Her former sister-in-arms and close friend, determined to punish Tanya for her treachery, threw an orb her way during a rescue mission to save the Princess. An orb swirling with pure Tarkatan essence, incensing those blood thirsty beasts and inciting them to exterminate Tanya.

All for that wretched Princess.

  
  


And Her Kahnum saved her.

Her vicious smile exposed, Mileena braved her own brethren, mercilessly cutting down any of the Tarkatan horde who threatened her Dearest Tanya. The sight of Mileena might have proved a nightmarish vision for anyone unaccustomed to her battle lust.

But not to Tanya.

 

Her smile, glistening with ruby droplets. A frenzied dance of death to those that dared enter her sacred circle. The ferocious aura of a wild animal defending its mate.

When Mileena took Tanya in her arms, snarling at the foolish remnants, the Edenian felt safe. For the first time since losing her home, surviving narrowly day to day, Tanya _trusted_ another.

 

Her reckless Kahnum.

During Tanya’s recovery, in her Kahnum’s private chambers, she was consumed by thoughts of her saviour. Mileena. Treasuring Tanya, like a prized Jewel, never leaving her side. Risking everything for the life of one, her life. A moment of foolishness in a carefully crafted game of chess.

Tormented by her clashing convictions, Tanya tossed and turned for endless nights before finally coming to the first selfish decision of her life. She would stand by this fallen Goddess in her conquest.

 

After all, how pointless was surviving to the end only to miss out on beautiful thing?

 

Like her Mileena.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couldn't help it. After writing from Mileena's perspective with an open-ended element to the short, I just had to finish the job from Tanya this time, especially after striking a chord with fellow Mileena/Tanya fans. As hinted at in the first chapter, Tanya is portrayed as much more complex, torn between trying to survive and do what she can to save Edenia, and her growing feelings for Mileena.
> 
> The turning point - with the Tarkatan attack - was a slightly rewritten version of Jade's Ending in Deception where she causes Tanya's death by throwing Tarkatan essence at her, causing the nearby warriors to perceive her as a rival enemy and killed her. In my alternate take, Mileena saves the day and it is the true moment that Tanya sees her as more than just a pawn in her greater schemes. Tanya's Ending in MK4 is also implied in the line about her "offering up Liu Kang to Shinnok," though he does survive.
> 
> From this moment onward, Mileena and Tanya become much closer. Everyone (maybe except Earthrealm warriors) wins. <3

**Author's Note:**

> Mileena is without a doubt my favourite Mortal Kombat Kharacter (see what I did there?) She is strong, but also very tragic and it's hard not to see her as a pawn trying to define herself and gain purpose. Her bond with Tanya in MKX really stood out to me and it inspired this little piece.
> 
> Does Tanya truly love her Kahnum or is it a means to an end for the Edenian survivor?
> 
> Is Mileena's affections one-sided? Is it love or just desperation to be cherished by someone unafraid of her? Will Tanya perhaps grow to appreciate the demonised sister?
> 
> I wanted to leave these ideas open to interpretation in the short story and I'd love to hear your thoughts on their dynamic in MK.


End file.
